ZOOLOGICAL SOC'IKTV BULLETIN 



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DETROIT AQLAKILM. 



that San Francisco is lu have it, provided the 

 Tevis fortune is available for the purpose, and care 

 is exercised in procuring the services of well- 

 trained aquarists. c. h. t. 



QUARANTINE AND DISINFECTION. 



NEXT to the problems connected with the pro- 

 curement of a suitable, wholesome and hy- 

 gienic food supply for the various types of wild 

 animals, and the necessity for providing suitable 

 sanitary buildings for those species which must 

 necessarily be confined within doors for the greater 

 part of the year, there are two other elements which 

 contribute greatly to the general health and vigor 

 of our animals. These are the systems of quaran- 

 tine and disinfection. 



Our past experience has shown that in order to 

 successfully combat diseases, especially those of a 

 contagious nature, a most complete and efficient 

 quarantine system is absolutely necessary. 



The invasion of a contagious malady is dangerous 

 in proportion to its capacity to elude observation, 

 and make good its attack. Too great faith can 

 not be placed in port inspection for the detection 

 of contagious diseases. It is practically impossible 

 for any inspector to detect di.sease in a latent form, 

 or to discover whether apparently healthy animals 

 have been in contact with those which were sick. 

 Moreover, it is a practical impossibility to obtain 

 even a good view of an animal which is boxed for a 

 long journey, and the first place in which real 

 inspection is possible is the quarantine quarters. 



A grave form of disease may be introduced b_v 

 apparently mild or trivial cases. With animals 

 arriving daily from different parts of the globe, 

 great care must be e.xercised in guarding against 

 the introduction of a possibly diseased animal into 



a collection known to be healthy. To meet this 

 contingency we have established a system of quar- 

 antine, whereby new iirrivals are isolated for a 

 short period, and carefully observed before be- 

 ing placed on exhibition. The results arc ex- 

 cellent. 



The value of this system has been many times 

 demonstrated by animals which have died within a 

 few days of their arrival, the autopsies revealing 

 highly contagious disorders which would no doubt 

 have been very disastrous and far-reaching, if 

 introduced into cages of healthy animals. In 

 .some instances it has been found practicable to 

 place newly arrived animals on exhibition at once 

 in isolated corrals or cages, but an animal is never 

 placed in an enclosure or cage with healthy animals 

 until we are reasonably sure that the new arrival 

 is perfectly healthy. The fact that there has not 

 been a single case of contagious or communicable 

 disease introduced among our animals from without 

 during the past year speaks well for the value of a 

 (juarantine system. 



Probably every fatal contagious or infectious 

 disease that affects domestic or wild animals is 

 caused by a specific micro-organism that in each 

 case has a life history of its own, and all measures 

 for the prevention and restriction of such diseases 

 must be based on the characteristics of each partic- 

 ular parasite. In the management of all commu- 

 nicable diseases among Park animals, the lines of 

 action follow the well-defined rules of .sanitary 

 science, and we have obtained the most satisfac- 

 tory results. 



Disinfection as a preventive of disease plaj's no 

 insignificant part in the medical work of the Park. 



In addition to powerful disinfectants and deo- 

 dorizers, there are several natural sanitary agents 

 of great importance as destroyers of virus. These 

 are cleanliness, ventilation, dn-ing and sunshine. 



